If you are standing between your light source (for example the sun) and your ... Use your camera's red-eye reduction set
How to take good photographs
Top photographer Tom Ang shows you how to get the most out of your digital camera. Choose a subject and look at his tips and tricks.
Further information can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/apictureofbritain/how_to/ And http://www.tomang.com/
Composition Use of lines
1. You can create a sense of direction using naturally occurring lines. 2. Direction and orientation of lines can imply certain feelings. 3. Slanting or 'oblique' lines imply movement, action and change. 4. Curved lines or S-shaped lines imply quiet, calm and sensual feelings. 5. Lines that converge imply depth, scale and distance, for example, the outer edges of a road converge as it disappears into the distance, giving a two-dimensional image three-dimensional depth. 6. Repetitive elements create a sense of rhythm, which is often more interesting if the rhythm is broken by a missed element.
Composition Rule of thirds
1. The rule of thirds helps you create more interesting compositions. 2. Imagine two horizontal and two vertical lines equally dividing your shot, then place subjects on the lines or where they intersect with each other. 3. Place your horizon on the top or bottom line to add emphasis to the ground or to the sky respectively. 4. In this picture, the composition follows a different idea - the so-called 'Golden Section', common in classical art. Here composition is based not on thirds but on proportions that are pleasing to the eye.
Composition Focus
1. The human eye is drawn to elements that are in focus, and this will influence how your photo is seen. 2. Auto-focus (standard on most digital cameras) will focus on what is in the centre of the frame. Use pre-focus to move your subject away from the centre of the frame. (This is done on most digital cameras by pressing down halfway on the shutter button.) 3. Use your zoom lens to reduce the 'depth of field' (sense of depth) and throw the background out of focus. This will emphasise any in-focus element in the foreground.
C o m p o s i t i o n
Z o o m
1. Zooming-out allows you to capture more of the view. 2. A wide-angle lens will keep everything in focus while helping to maximise the 'depth of field', or feeling of depth in your shots. 3. Zooming-in will flatten the sense of perspective and make distant objects appear closer together. 4. Zooming-in will also affect the amount of your picture that is in focus allowing you to isolate details against an out-of-focus foreground and/or background. 5. Be careful to avoid camera shake when zoomed right in, as tiny movements in your hands become magnified.
Light Light source
1. If you are standing between your light source (for example the sun) and your subject (the thing you are photographing) then details could be lost in the shadows. 2. Standing between your light source and your subject can create some interesting visual effects, but it is tricky to get right. 3. Lighting from the side produces more interesting shapes and structures. 4. The best times for side lighting are at the beginning and end of the day.
Light Temperature
1. Natural light is white, while artificial light is often shades of yellow, orange or green. 2. Our eyes naturally adjust to yellow light sources to make them appear white. 3. Earlier or later in the day, natural light tends to be more orange. 4. This picture shows orangey tints from the evening sun.
Light Flash
1. Balance the flash with the available light for best results. If your camera has a setting to do this for you, it is probably called 'slow flash' or 'synchro flash'. 2. Use your camera's red-eye reduction setting (if it has one) when taking flash photographs of people. 3. Avoid red-eye by turning up or providing more light in the room. 4. Aiming the flash directly at your subject can result in harsh lighting. Try to bounce the flash off a reflective or white surface, such as the ceiling, to produce a softer light.
Light Time of day
1. Side or 'cross' lighting at dawn or dusk is great for bringing out the texture of a subject. 2. At dawn and dusk there are natural shadows to help give depth and form to your subject. 3. For night time and early evening shots, you will need to allow for slower shutter speeds. (Shutter speed is the length of time the camera requires to absorb enough light for the required shot.) The slower the shutter speed, the more likely your photographs will be blurry due to camera shake, so use a tripod to keep the camera steady. 4. Don't be afraid to point the lens at a setting sun, but whatever you do avoid looking directly at the sun, especially through the viewfinder of your camera.
Colour Use of colour
1. Redder colours will create a warmer feel for your shots than blues or greens. 2. Colour affects the way we look at pictures, so try to use colour creatively in your shots. 3. Look for images that contain contrasting colours, such as red and green or yellow and purple, to add tension or drama. 4. Using shades of the same colours will create a sense of harmony.
Colour Light
1. Bright sunlight gives colours a more intense or 'saturated' feel. 2. A cloudy or overcast day will give colours a more harmonious feel. 3. Photographs taken at the beginning or end of the day will have a warmer tone due to the natural orangeness of the light. 4. Midday light has a bluer quality, which can give photos a harsher feel.
Colour Emotion
1. Red is the universal colour of warning, so use it with caution. A little bit of red in your shot goes a long way! 2. Colours effect the emotional impact of your shot. Yellow is associated with happiness, but orange moves us to sadness. 3. Greens and blues are calming.
Colour Black & White
1. Black and white can be used to create a more intimate portrait or a more atmospheric landscape. 2. Black and white is more dependant than colour photography on shape and form to create interest. 3. Slanting or 'oblique' lines imply movement, action and change. 4. Experiment with high and low contrast to give your pictures increased drama. (Contrast is the proportion of black to white in your shot.) 5. In this picture, the complicated shapes and colours are reduced to simple forms to great effect.
Landscape Composition
1. Always keep your horizons (any horizontal lines) level in your photographs, otherwise your shots will appear crooked. 2. Many people mistakenly put the main points of interest in the centre of their photographs. Keep the main points of interest away from the centre, and from the extreme edges of your shots. 3. Don't shoot everything from a standing position. Look for interesting angles by changing the camera positions. 4. Try to avoid empty space in your photographs.
L a n d s c a p e
F r a m i n g
1. Don't be afraid to use take portrait photographs - that is, with the camera on its side. 2. Use natural features in the environment to create a frame for your subject (the thing you are photographing). 3. Zoom in to create a sense of intimacy. Remove from your shots elements like the sun or the sky, which give a feeling of open space. 4. Experiment with framing. Try framing your shots with lots of land and very little sky, or lots of sky and very little land.
Landscape Zoom
1. Zooming-out allows you to capture more of the views. 2. A wide-angle lens will keep everything in focus while helping to maximise the 'depth of field', or feeling of depth in your shots. 3. Zooming-in will flatten the sense of perspective and make distant objects appear closer together. 4. Zooming-in will also affect the amount of your picture that is in focus, allowing you to isolate details against an out-of-focus foreground and/or background. 5. Be careful to avoid camera shake when zoomed right in, as tiny movements in your hands become magnified.
L a n d s c a p e
P e r s p e c t i v e
1. Create perspective by using the lines and shapes within the shot to draw the eye. 2. Tall buildings can appear to 'lean back' when photographed. Getting something in the foreground of your shot will counteract this. 3. Increase the sense of perspective by using a wide-angle lens and adding foreground interest. 4. A low viewpoint and wide-angle setting helps to contrast the size and shape of objects in interesting ways.
Landscape Foreground
1. Foreground is the area that is closest to the camera. 2. An object in the foreground will lead the eye into the photo. 3. Include foreground objects to add a sense of perspective, as in this photograph.
Landscape Proportions
1. Try placing the main point of interest towards the sides of your photographs for more interesting compositions. 2. Place your horizon near the top or bottom of your shots to add emphasis to the ground or to the sky respectively. 3. In this picture, you can see there is a large amount of sky and the rocks have been placed well to one side to emphasise the feeling of space.
People Light
1. The soft light you get on overcast days is especially good for photographing people, as is produces the best skin tones. 2. Side or 'cross' lighting is more interesting because it gives depth and form to your subject (the person you are photographing). 3. In this picture, soft light from a low sun lights the girl's face from the side, while a zoomed-in setting throws the background out of focus.
People Lens
1. Use your zoom lens to shorten the 'depth of field' (sense of depth) in your photograph, and throw the background out of focus. This adds emphasis to your subject. 2. A wide-angle lens used too close to your subject will distort their features. 3. Use your zoom lens to fill your photograph, rather than leaving your main point of interest floating in space. 4. Zooming in will flatten perspective, which generally produces a more flattering shot of your subject. 5. In this picture, a zoomed-in setting focuses on the dancer, throwing the foreground objects out of focus.
People Portraits
1. Be aware of how people are framed in your shot. 2. Look for the natural junctions of the human body (where it seems natural to 'cut-off') if you are not including the whole person in the shot. Soft light is preferable for portraits. Try sitting your subject near a window.
People Children
1. Get the children used to you and the camera by firing off lots of shots first. 2. For small children, pre-focus the camera. This is done on most digital cameras by pressing down halfway on the shutter button. Then move yourself backwards and forwards with the child to keep the shot in focus. 3. Get down on your hands and knees to stay level with your subject and appear less intimidating. 4. Use something to draw the child's attention away from the fact that they are having their photograph taken.
P e o p l e
F l a s h
1. Use your camera's red-eye reduction setting (if it has one) when taking flash photographs of people. 2. Avoid red-eye by turning up or providing more light in the room. 3. Aiming the flash directly at your subject can result in harsh lighting. Try to bounce the flash off a reflective or white surface, such as the ceiling, to produce a softer light. 4. 'Fill-in' flash (which may be a setting on your camera) is useful for subjects that are quite brightly lit from behind, as in this picture.
Being Ready Motor drive
1. Take lots of pictures. With digital they don't cost you anything. 2. Move around as you photograph to experiment and give yourself plenty of choice. 3. Stay alert for that chance-of-a-lifetime shot. 4. In this picture, the golden eagle put its wing on the falconer for only a short time, and the falconer smiled for even less time!
Being Ready Vantage point
1. If you see a potential shot, walk around to find the best position from which to take it. 2. You may also have to wait for the best light. 3. The best position may depend on the zoom setting that you choose. 4. In this picture, it is essential that you are looking down on the line of cattle. A lower viewpoint would not be as effective.
Being Ready Shutter lag
1. Shutter lag is the time a digital camera needs to capture a picture after you have pressed the shutter button. 2. Reduce shutter lag by focusing beforehand and waiting for the moment. 3. Reduce shutter lag by turning off any unnecessary automatic features such as red-eye reduction. 4. In this picture, the only way to catch the child at the right instant was to release the shutter just before she reached the ideal position.
Being Ready Preparation
1. If you see a good picture, you may be early. An even better one may come a few seconds later. 2. While you wait for the perfect shot, make sure your camera settings are correct. 3. Hold the camera to your eye all the time. You cannot afford the halfsecond needed to get in position. 4. In this picture, a shape was needed to fill an otherwise empty area in the sun. The policeman's silhouette, in position for just a second, was just perfect. Information taken from website http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/apictureofbritain/how_to/ on 02/0812
